MAME Cabinets - An Entire Arcade In One Cabinet

For those who don't know what MAME is, it was an arcade emulator made for Windows back in 1997. Basically what it did, was to allow any computer owner to be able to play all the classic arcade games of the past, right on their computer.

After MAME got really big on the computer, arcade cabinet developers decided, that it would be a good idea to use MAME on actual arcade cabinets. No matter how much fun it might have been on the computer, it was 10 times better on an arcade cabinet. Being able to play the game the way it was initially intended for, was incredible and a PC just couldn't compete with that.

It was the perfect idea. You're able to store thousands of games, if you wanted to, in one single MAME cabinet. The convenience and the ability to save a lot of money was just too much for people to say no to.

The great thing about it is that you don't need the newest, most expensive technology to create one. The internal computer doesn't have to be top notch, because the majority of the older arcade games weren't that demanding on memory.

Now, for the purists out there. The ones that have been collecting arcade machines since they first came out, MAME arcade machines are viewed as second rate. To them, owning the original machine with the original artwork, buttons, joystick is the only way to collect.

Do they have a point? Absolutely! No matter how great a MAME machine might be, there is no substitute to the feeling you get when you see a basement full of old arcade games. Its just not as impressive.

However, one thing is for certain: MAME arcade machines are here to stay and are a major part of this business/hobby.

On this website, you will find hundreds of listings on MAME arcade machines for sale.